LPS-INDUCED STAT3 AND CYTOKINE PROTEIN IN MOUSE BRAIN

The peripheral immune system and the brain communicate through signaling mechanisms. Immune activation alters central nervous system (CNS) and the CNS modulates immune function. During infection there are changes in complex behavior, including sleep. What is not well known is by what mechanisms, and where, in brain immune signals act to alter sleep. Cytokines, such as IL-1, TNF and IL-6 mediate infection-induced alterations in sleep. Receptor signaling for these cytokines include Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3). To determine a potential role in altered sleep during immune challenge, we injected LPS into several mouse strains and determined changes in STAT3 and cytokine in discrete brain regions.Adult male mice (C57BL/6J; Balb/c; TLR4 mutant; n = 3-4 / strain / condition) were injected IP at light onset with either 0.2ml vehicle or 10μg LPS (E. coli serotype O111:B4). These animals were sacrificed 2- or 4 h post injection. STAT3 from 2 h treatments and cytokine from 4 h treatment...